“I feel part of something bigger. I’m valued.”

This week’s magical teammate is Dario Stragapede, Food and Beverage Manager at Gardaland’s Resort Hotels 🤩

Since joining the Merlin family in 2006, Dario has been creating memorable experiences for our guests every day.

His passion for cuisine dates to his childhood in Italy – he explains feeling the same joy as he did then “every time he enters one of our kitchens.”

In 2017, during the Merlin Annual Conference, Dario took part in an internal exchange programme.

He visited Chessington World of Adventure for three weeks where he developed his English language skills, shared his knowledge in pastry and Mediterranean food culture, and bonded with his global colleagues.

Dario says this experience made him truly feel part of Merlin’s global family – “as we say in Merin: everyone matters!”